Thread: I'd like to start shaving with straight razor also wanna buy sharpening stones

Hi,

I've been using safety razor for many years. I'd like to change. The cheapest but quality ones I found are Böker and Dovo. I don't know if it should be rounded or not. What's the point? Kamisori or traditional? My other questions are about sharpening. Which grit size would be the largest to buy for a new razor? Should the grit size increases by 2000? If I buy the Shapton 30000 for the smallest grit I never have to buy chromium oxide paste right? What is the best grit size ratio flattening the stones? Should I buy a pair of every stone to flatten them? That's it for know. I would appreciate your help.

Welcome to the most helpful, friendly and informative site on the web! Also welcome to a whole new world of shaving.

A truly shave ready razor is a must! Most businesses that sell new straight razors advertise them as ‘shave ready’ but in reality they are sorely lacking as they only have the factory edge on them. Straight Razor Design sell truly shave ready razor honed by Lynn Abrams.

However there are many, many nice vintage beginners razors out there! Keep an eye on the classifieds. I picked up my first ones for less than $30 delivered. Since then I’ve acquired some rather nice ones including a new Revisor.

The shave ready razor will give you an example of how it should shave. To maintain that edge you will need a strop. This is a good one and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg:

[Barbers & Clippers] Fromm Razor Strop Illinois 827

Glen (GSSISGUN) has used that same strop for over 30 years, I believe it was his only strop for about 28 years!

Canned goop will work alright with the disposables etc, however a brush, cup and shaving soap is another must have. You can pick up a beginner’s shaving kit at a Rite Aid, WalMart etc for about $10 to$12. It will get you going.

Hones:

You have your hands full just trying to learn the angles to get a nice shave with, also stropping takes a while to learn how to do properly. Many a beginner has ruined a perfectly nice edge with improper stropping.

I always advise to wait on the hones! Learn the basics before you tackle another level that is an Art of it’s own!!!

I speak from my own personal experience! While I learned the Art of Shaving and Stropping quicker than many, I waited for over a year before I attempted to learn to hone! I’m glad that I did! I had a solid background of knowing how my razors felt when they had been properly by Pros and others that knew what they were doing.

Today I can give you references from others that have enjoyed my edges!

You will find that most of this Art is personally preference! That includes razor styles, grinds, country of origin etc!

Again welcome!

I'm going to respectfully disagree with Pi3, above, about hones. I'd recommend that you learn to shave with a professionally honed razor, and start by trying to keep that in shave-ready condition, if you want to do it all yourself. Learning to shave with a straight is tricky enough as it is, so getting the razor professionally honed for the first 6 months - 1 year is a good option.

For maintenance, the razor will want an occasional trip to a high-grit stone, say 10k or 12k. This should be enough to keep you going for a long time, especially if you use chromium oxide when the razor is just starting to dull.

Getting just a bevel-setter is pointless - you can't get a comfortable shaving edge off it, and it shouldn't be necessary if you're maintaining a razor that has been made shave ready by a pro. (If you want to restore very dulled razors that you buy on ebay or whatever, then you'll need a full set - bevel setter, mid-range sharpening hones, and a finisher, but that's a different ball-game to maintaining your first shaver.)

Thanks for your answers. I really'd like to know about stones because I'll buy them sharpening knives anyway. As a chef i've sharpened many types of knives many times. I just want to go for perfect edge. I'm going to buy a microscope for precision control. So how do you flatten stones? Does razors need quarter micron diamond spray?

As a former meat cutter, I'll tell you straight up, Sharpening a Knife and Honing a Razor is as different as black and white! You can throw what you know about sharpening a knife out the window as you have to start all over.

For one thing honing a razor takes a whole new set of muscle memory!! It also takes a completely different 'touch' and that touch is an extremely light one!

The same is true with learning to 'properly' strop! It's a whole new world!

This Art takes patience at all levels! Lack of patience will lead to failure.

Now, as far as using hones for knives and razors, I would advise to have hones for just your razors!

Just as I wouldn't use my breakdown knife to carve a prime rib, neither would I use my vintage F. Dick prime rib knife to break down a hind quarter of beef.

Specific tools for specific jobs!

Originally Posted by Matt69

I'm going to respectfully disagree with Pi3, above, about hones. I'd recommend that you learn to shave with a professionally honed razor, and start by trying to keep that in shave-ready condition, if you want to do it all yourself. Learning to shave with a straight is tricky enough as it is, so getting the razor professionally honed for the first 6 months - 1 year is a good option.

For maintenance, the razor will want an occasional trip to a high-grit stone, say 10k or 12k. This should be enough to keep you going for a long time, especially if you use chromium oxide when the razor is just starting to dull.

Getting just a bevel-setter is pointless - you can't get a comfortable shaving edge off it, and it shouldn't be necessary if you're maintaining a razor that has been made shave ready by a pro. (If you want to restore very dulled razors that you buy on ebay or whatever, then you'll need a full set - bevel setter, mid-range sharpening hones, and a finisher, but that's a different ball-game to maintaining your first shaver.)

Disagree? I agree 100% with what you said. I just felt from the OP that Razr wanted to jump into honing right away like I did. Sure, it's a long and bumpy ride, but it's a fun challenge to take on.

As for the "just a bevel-setter", I meant "and" in my post instead of a "then"... my mistake, correction made.

Cheers.

I suggest one of the three approaches for a razor:
-Inexpensive DOVO etc. honed by a capable vendor before shipment. New razors are not usually fully shave ready (they need honing) despite their manafacturer's claims,
-A low cost shave ready razor in good condition from the classified sections,
-A Whipped Dog razor, shave ready but not necessarily beautiful.
I would avoid e-Bay and antique shop razors until you are experienced as they are not usually shave ready and many need restoration. Some are damaged beyond recovery for shaving.
I suggest a VDH Brush, cup, and soap from the local pharmacy or department store to get you started inexpensively. I have higher priced badger brushes but still use my $ 8 VDH Deluxe white handled boar bristle brush at least once per week.
I suggest a moderately priced strop, or a Whipped Dog strop and Whipped Dog CrOx pasted balsa strop for touchups. Starting with a good edge, you can maintain a razor for a long time using this inexpensive equipment before rehoning should be needed. Learning to shave and strop effectively are acquired skills, your face will tell you what is working out for you as you learn.

I do not advocate rushing into honing until shaving and stropping skills have developed, one will then be able to tell what is working out with the honing rather than be wondering whether the problem is in the honing, shaving or stropping.

Touching up a previously shave ready edge that no longer responds to stropping or a CrOx pasted strop may only require an 8K stone or a barber's hone. The Norton 4K/8K combo or other similar grit range water stones are often recommended and may be all that you need. Some also recommend a 1K stone for taking out chips and e-Bay razor restorations and a higher than 8K grit manufactured or natural stone for finishing. I have used my Norton 8K and CrOx and diamond pasted strops to keep my razors performing to my satisfaction. At some point, I will probably explore higher than 8K grit or natural finishing stones to see whether I can achieve an even better shave, but acceptable shaves are being gotten off of my 8K stone.

It is important to flatten the surface of new hones and to refresh the surface of hones frequently. DMT or Atoma diamond plates are often recommended as the fastest and easiest way to flatten hones, but hones can also be flattened inexpensively using high grade wet/dry sandpaper on a flat tile or glass pane. I use my DMT to flatten my hones, I had already acquired one for sharpening my stainless steel knives. DMTs never need flattening.

There is no single right way, there are many ways that work, but not necessarily for everyone. The important thing is to enjoy the journey searching for what will work best for you.

sheajohnw!

I thank you for a very valuable and informative post! I'm 100% with you!

This is extremely helpful and well thought out counsel!